The other morning, Mr D2S and I went grocery shopping with the little one. We had made out a menu for the next several days, had our list, and stuck to it. As we were shopping, I mentioned that I’d like to try to set a budget for our groceries. I haven’t really tracked our spending well enough in the past to know what is normal for us, and life is a little different (my brother-in-law lives with us now, and we don’t eat out near as much as we did before the baby), but I threw a number out.
I ballparked a figure of $400.
Too bad we’ve already spent that much this month! Some of that was for household goods, and some of it was not for regular meals at home (we bought stuff for our daughter’s baptism reception). However, I still am going to aim for that goal.
Other amounts we’ve spent this month (and August isn’t even half-over) regarding food/drink:
Liquor: $97.27
Baptism Reception: $174.17
Pizza for friends: $40.69
Eating Out: $104.91
We’re honestly not big drinkers. I obviously don’t drink at all now since I breastfeed. And Mr D2S only drinks a few when socializing. Well, he just happened to socialize a lot because his best friend from high school stayed with us for the whole week prior to DD’s baptism. And his best friend can throw quite a few back. So three men drinking beer several nights, plus a few extra friends staying after the baptism who drank, equals too much spent on alcohol.
For the Baptism Receptions, we bought three Subway platters ($113.94) and a cake ($60.23). We had 25 adults here, plus a handful of small children. The cake was devoured quickly, and we only had a few sandwiches left, but they were eaten soon after and not wasted. I could’ve made my own sandwiches, but it wasn’t worth the stress to me. I also could’ve asked my mother-in-law for help with that (she actually offered), but I felt like she’s done plenty for us since our daughter was born (like doing our laundry and cleaning our bathrooms). I wanted her to enjoy the weekend too. My sister-in-law also offered to make the cake, but in all honesty, no one likes her cakes. Also, she can’t afford to make the cake, so if I had to pay someone, I’d rather pay a place that makes a good cake. We just told her we wanted everyone to enjoy the weekend and not work, and that’s why we were going with a local bakery.
After the baptism, a few friends stuck around and we footed the bill for ordering pizza. It’s hard to ask everyone to chip in when part of the crowd is unemployed (a seminarian and a recent education major grad).
And the eating out? We paid for four adults (ourselves plus brother-in-law and the best friend seminarian from out of town) to eat from Subway, Braum’s, and Quizno’s. Mr D2S and his brother also went to a Chinese buffet one night when the baby and I went to a Pampered Chef party. Can you imagine the cost if we’d eaten at sit-down restaurants??
Food can be so crazy expensive. Hopefully making menus, eating at home, and being a little smarter will help reduce our spending in this area.
DINK to SINK 
August 13, 2010 at 11:23 pm |
I hear you! We just spent $85 at Wal-mart for just Hubby and I for two weeks. 😛 We’re trying to eat healthier, and it sure adds up. I think we’ve spent a little over $200 so far this month… 😦
August 17, 2010 at 1:40 pm |
I am loving this blog! I’m reading it in reverse, can ya tell?
Anyway, I need to pick a number to budget for groceries for September. I do know that we’ve spent $243 so far this month–and that does not count any hh stuff. It takes some work but I like to look at my WM receipts and divide the costs into the appropriate categories. And I’ve been meaning to do the menu thing too…hopefully soon!